A Career Counseling Sammelan was organised by Maitrey Environment, Education, Research Association at Maal, Rahimabad, Malihabad & Kakori on February 19-20th 2010.
Malihabad is a famous block in Lucknow district in Northern India. It is famous for producing the world’s best considered mangoes – dussehri. Located at a distance of about 40 km from the district head quarters, the area is in the heart of the mango belt. The area welcomes any visitor with its wonderful green mango tree. In spring the trees look golden when the mango flowers (baur) covers the trees. Sweet smell of the mangoes is luring in the summers when the mangoes are on the trees.
But even as the area is having good mango crops and other crops as well, it presents fewer career options for its teeming adolescents / youth. The block has 8 Intermediate Colleges and 1 Degree College. Even as the students are obtaining good education, they are not able to cope with the pressures of proper career selection.
At the behest of Dr. Siddharth Shanker – MLA Malihabad, Maitreya ERA was invited to organise a series of career counseling sessions for the children from the rural background. The Executive Body of Maitrey at its meeting held on December 12, 2009 decided to organise this event on February 19-20, 2010. The members volunteered to contribute money for organising this event. Community contributions were also solicited in the form of support to the programme. All the Gram Pradhans of the Block undertook the task of making the masses aware about the programme and solicit their presence at this unprecedented function in their area. Many of the Pradhans had even put up large hoardings in their respective areas to deliver the message to maximum people. It was hence a People’s Programme being facilitated by Maitrey and at the initiative taken by Dr. Siddharth Shanker.
Subsequent to the decisions of the Executive Board, relentless efforts were made by the Maitrey team under the able guidance of Mr. M.S. Sant and overall leadership of Ms. Sanghmitra Shanker. Valuable contributions were made by other team members – Ms. Sunita Siddharth, Ms. Saumya Shanker, Mr. Praveen Kumar, Ms Smriti Singh, Mr. Siddharth Priyadarshi .
The two day programme was structured to be conducted over 4 different venues so as to handle a larger cross-section of population. Two sessions were held at two different locations on each day. The sessions were structured to allow the students, particularly the girl students to conveniently attend the sammelan. The following sessions were held:
- Apna Bazaar, Maal on February 19th from 10 am to 12:30 pm
-Apna Bazaar, Rahimabad on February 19th 01:30 pm to 04:00 pm
-Tehsil Ground, Malihabad on February 20th from 10 am to 12:30 pm
-Babu Triloki Singh Inter College, Kakori, on February 20th 01:30 pm to 04:00 pm
As per schedule, the Programme commenced at 10:00 am. A gathering of more than 600 students from classes 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th had gathered at Apna Bazaar to witness an event that is going to be a major turning point in their lives. A huge strength of teachers was also present to benefit from the counseling and share it with wider community. The parents are also amazed and awed by the scope and range of careers that are there for their children. They had never witnessed such an event nor were they aware about such a concept as Career Counseling. All they could see around them was the glamorous dreams which they always believe are not theirs actually. They never had the courage to even dream about careers such as aviation, merchant navy.
A lot of myths had also truncated their dreams since they could never muster enough courage to even think of becoming other than their traditional occupations. This Sammelan provided them with an opportunity to explore options that were erstwhile unknown to them.
Ms. Sabira Habib, from the National Commission for Minority Education highlighted the importance of exposure to career counseling. She lamented that when she was a young girl going to school with two ‘chotis’, she never imagined that she would reach this position where she is guiding so many girls and women to become independent and progressive. She however acknowledged that her life had been full of struggle before she achieved a place for herself in the society. Ms. Habib highlighted the contributions made by Late Sri Gauri Shanker, erstwhile MLA Malihabad constituency. His efforts were always supported by his family members who are now carrying forward the seeds of progress that were sown in his regime. She stated that we need to be not only responsible to ourselves but to the people around us as well. We have to take care of the children around us. She quoted – “ gj cPpk tks vkrk gS] og [k+qnk dk iSx+ke ysdj vkrk gS” she further added– “ tykvks gj ?kj esa fpjkx+ myQ+r ds] va/ksjs nq'euh ds feVkvks yksxksa] [k+qn i<+ks lcdks i<+kvks yksxksa”
Mr. Amitabh Mohan was the key resource person for who elucidated the students on the vast canvas of career and employment opportunities. Mr. Mohan elucidated his learning from a petty vegetable shop-keeper lady. He told that he learnt the selling skills from that woman – who as talking to one customer, weighing vegetables for another while negotiating with a third one. For her each of these 3 customers are important, because the moment she looses her attention, one of them would definitely go away to some other vendor. Mr. Mohan pointed out that we also have to be adept in doing things for a career rather than just having the technical know-how. He insisted that we must learn from everybody. Some of the options that were suggested at the outset included:
Starting National Cadet Corps NCC for the students in the Block so that their chances of joining the armed forces improve.
A suggestion was mooted to have Personality Development Programmes to test the aptitude of the students at the commencement of the programme and then introduce interventions to improve their personality followed by a follow-up assessment of the change.
In response to specific queries, he told that students who did not have mathematics at intermediate level and desirous of pursuing degree course in Engineering have two routes. One they can join ITI Polytecnic and join any of the Engineering degree programmes in the third year upon successful completion of the ITI Diploma. This kind of entry is called ‘Lateral Entry’. The second option is to pursue Associate Membership of Institution of Engineers (AMIE) through correspondence.
When many students expressed their desire to become teacher, particularly the girls; Mr. Mohan informed that a number of courses are there depending on the kind of students that are to be taught-
a. MTT- Montessori Teachers Training(upto class 10)
b. NTT – Nursery Teachers Training
c. B.Ed – Bachelor of Education
d. Post Graduation / Doctorate in any subject
e. UGC + PG – This is for becoming university staff
b. NTT – Nursery Teachers Training
c. B.Ed – Bachelor of Education
d. Post Graduation / Doctorate in any subject
e. UGC + PG – This is for becoming university staff
Some of the students (approx. 7-8) were interested in starting their own enterprise.
In response to a student Vishwanath Pratap Singh aspiring to become a singer Mr Mohan explained that aspirants like him could obtain professional guidance from Institutions such as Bhatkhande Institute of Music and Dance. Besides, the Bharat Hindu University, Varanasi offers Degree courses in Tabla, Sitar and Vocal.
In response to other queries, he suggested that teachers can often help the students identify their potential. Those having good drawing skills – who often make caricatures of their fellow students or even teachers are usually reprimanded for doing so. These students are doing the right thing at the wrong time. They should alternatively be coached to take up careers in Cartooning and animation designing a fast upcoming branch of study with 4 year degree courses and 6month diploma courses. Similarly those having good drawing skills can pursue careers in Bachelor of Fine Arts after class 12 level. They also have options after class 10 level.
In response to Lovely Singh’s (of Nanhe Singh Inter College) query for requisite skills for becoming a Lawyer, Mr. Mohan elucidated that the basic requirement these days is to compete in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) after class 12 level. The test is aimed at testing the mathematical, reasoning and English skills of the participants. Besides the degree, the advocate needs to be self-confident, have very good communication skills and innate reasoning skills to resolve apparently indecisive situations.
In response to another query regarding careers in Social Service, Mr. Mohan told that there are two possibilities. One is through being with the Government through various openings such as IAS, PCS, etc. These are the persons who actually take the development and welfare schemes of the Government to the masses. The other stream is through Masters in Social Works. There after, there are a number of career opportunities with Non-Government Organisations – both national as well as multinational.
Ms. Seema Yadav of Chandra Shekhar College enquired about beating the CPMT examinations. Mr. Mohan gave useful tips to these aspirants. In CPMT there are 4 attempts that are allowed.
Similarly in response to queries for careers in software engineering, Mr. Mohan informed that the careers are routed through either Bachelor of Technology / Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Sciences / Electronics or the second route is through studying Masters of Computer Applications. For BE / B. Tech through IITs two attempts are allowed.
Deepak wanted to explore careers in Army. Mr. Mohan informed that there are two possibilities for the officers’ level entry – through National Defense Academy (NDA) after class 12 level or through Combined Defense Services (CDS). Besides these there are also entries in the Educational Core – where army education is dealt with. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is for candidates from the engineering stream through competitive exams. Judges and Advocate General (JAG), which deals with the army legislations including Court Martials.
Preeti wanted to join the Police force. Mr. Mohan guided her that entries are possible through the State level – Provincial Police Services Officers (PPS) while at the national level there are Indian Police Services Officers. Both these entries are through tough competitions which also have physical fitness requirements, besides beating the competitions. A the first level there is the Preliminary tests which are based on General Awareness. At the next level are the mains – which include General Awareness as well as knowledge of one of the subjects selected by the aspirant. In the final stage there are the Interviews.
Some students queried about careers in aviation. Mr. Alan D’Souza responded that the careers in aviation are now possible through various institutes, which provide training in becoming Pilots. The competence of a Pilot is dependent on the number of hours of flying experience held by that person.
Some of the students also queried about careers in Network Marketing. Mr. Mohan gave an overview of the concept and the advantages of entering into such ventures.
An environment was created to make the students come into a mode where they were in a position to analyse themselves and express their aspirations and ambitions. Mr. Mohan resolved the problems of the students on a case to case basis as well as making efforts to address some generic queries. Some of the career paths indicated by the students included:
-Undergraduate and Graduate programmes in Music
-Making a choice of engineering career even if the student has not opted for physics and mathematics at intermediate level.
-Professional courses in teaching
-Careers in fine arts
-Careers in animation designing
-Combined Pre-Medical Tests
-Nursing and Pharmacy
-B. Tech / BE
-Software Engineering
-Army
-Aviation
The session of Mr. Amitabh Mohan was followed by the blessings of Ms Sanghamitra Shanker, who was very glad to have had played a crucial role in designing the programme. She acknowledged the inspiration she received from her late husband – Mr. Gauri Shanker who was always making ways for progress of the community particularly the underprivileged sections of the society. She also acknowledged the role of Ms. Sunita Siddarth Shanker and Ms. Saumya Shanker for making relentless efforts to compile a compendium of career paths for students at class 10 and class 12 levels.
In the following session, Mr. Siddarth Shanker, MLA Malihabad, expressed his gratitude towards Maitreya Era, its team members as well as the erudite gathering marking their presence at the function. He thanked the organizers for facilitating this session for the welfare of the students of his constituency. He affirmed his firm commitment to the cause of making efforts for shaping the future of the community from all walks of life. He said each one of us have a role to play and appropriate education helps us in adopting and adapting our roles as per our capabilities and interests. He vowed for holistic development of children. Quoting the reference of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar, he elucidated that Baba Saheb advocated the welfare of people from all walks of life and not only the excluded groups. He believed in inclusive growth that takes along all the sections of the society together and not a lopsided development of the privileged classes. Mr. Shanker thanked all the Gram Pradhans and teachers for organising the participation of children at the function. He paid special thanks to the Pradhans and parents present on the occasion for their concern in shaping the future of the students.
Mr. Shanker then presented Mr. M.S. Sant, the Chief Guest of the function and a noted civil servant and social servant, with a bouquet. Mr. Sant is an eminent personality who had been source of inspiration for a number of people including Mr. Siddarth Shaker. On the occasion, Mr. Sant gave his blessings and shared his secret for living a happy life – he said “If you want to be happy and gay, do a good deed every day”. He offered his blessings to all the students present on the occasion and asked them not to be disheartened by the hardships they come across. He said that he himself is an example of fighting against odds when he facilitated the career path of all his children. By God’s grace, all his children are well settled and are contributing in whatever manner possible to the process of nation building.
Continuing his speech, Mr. Siddarth Shanker informed the people that he had been busy with another meeting where he has mooted proposals for Rs. 650 Crore worth of roads in his constituency. Seven bridges have been proposed and several interventions to improve the health facilities have been proposed by him vociferously for his constituency. He apologized for arriving late at the function due to these commitments which he has to honour for all the people of his constituency. Going forward, Mr. Shanker said that we have to make a strong nation. A country can be made stronger when its villages are strong in all respects. All the students get equitable opportunities to meet the competition of the developed world. In this respect, he challenged that all the corrupt teachers and officers may be brought to his notice and he would take strict action against any erring teacher / officer. Even as the Government has institutionalized several mechanisms to ensure the deliver of quality education for all the children, a large number of them fail to achieve even the basic minimum because of corrupt officers or non-performing teachers. Through this forum, he openly challenged all the corrupt officers in his constituency. He laid special emphasis on the health and education systems for strengthening the nation.
Commenting on the need for effective counseling facilities, he elucidated the difficulties that Maitreya Era had to face in order to organise this Career Couselling Mela without any major support. He thanked all those who had given a free had in supporting the Mela, but regretted that the people who are frequently organising such events in the urban areas where the students already have a plethora of opportunities due to wider exposure and educated parents. The situation in the rural areas is entirely different. One there are not many opportunities for the students to know about the various career options, and secondly, their parents too cannot often think beyond the traditional careers. This leaves the students in the rut to compete for a limited option of career opportunities.
Sharing his ideas on the concept of career counseling, he said that he plans to track children for 5 years for their career path. His dream is to test the aptitude of children while they are still in class 7 through a battery of tools maybe quizzes, tests in mathematics, Hindi, etc. Details of the assessment can be formalised with the help of experts of respective fields.
Good students need to be linked to suitable sources of financing options, so that their education is unhindered. On the other hand, those who are weak, extra pedagogic and technical support may be provided for a period of at least 3 years. He sought the support of all the people present on the occasion for making this dream come true so that students from this area may make a mark in the their respective fields of operation.
After the fiery speech of Mr. Shanker, the students as well as their parents greatly appreciated the support of an MLA. The programme came to an end with a vote of thanks by Ms. Sunita Siddarth Shanker.
At Apna Bazaar, Raheemabad, the Career Counselling Mela started at 02:00 pm. The programme commenced with formally introducing the panel of experts gathered on the occasion to respond to the career related queries of the students as well as to motivate & mobilize the students to at least articulate their career related queries.
As in Maal, Mr. Amitabh Mohan lead the session by establishing a direct dialogue with the students. First and foremost, he changed the seating arrangement so that he was in the middle of the students and all the students were facing him in a circular seating arrangement. This facilitated in motivating all the students to participate in a constructive discussion and not only the vociferous students getting their queries resolved. The questions began with traditional careers of Engineering and Medicine. Mr. Mohan informed the students about the IITs, Regional Colleges, AIEEE, AMIE as well as lateral entry mechanisms as already explained in this report.
In response to careers in medicine, he informed that the Indian Board of Alternative Medicines also recognises courses which are very important for rural masses as most of the doctors accessed by them, practice Alternative medicine.
Some students are very clear about their career choices. Mr. Mohan commenced by asking the children to share their career choices. Regarding students having interest in drawing, he suggested Fashion Designing and Textile designing. Anoop Kumar Maurya came forward to sing and expressed his desire to become a singer. Similarly Dharamvir also wanted to become a singer. Mr. Mohan informed the children about the careers in music as he had already explained in Maal.
For students aspiring to become cricketers, he informed that they needed to contest for the district level selections for the teams. All the big names have started as district level players. In order to get professional coaching, one can get admissions in the Sports College as well – one of which is located in Lucknow. Also students can opt for Physical Education (PE) as one of their subjects at class 12 level. In future they can also pursue B.P.Ed. Bachelor of Physical Education.
Regarding careers in dancing, he informed that, Graduate and postgraduate programmes are being offered by Banaras Hindu University. Also, there are families that have music as a tradition and accept pupils for training them under Guru-shishya system. Renowned are Benaras gharanas, Agra Gharanas, etc. Besides these possibilities also exist in the Film Industry.
In response to Shivjit Singh’s query regarding joining the armed forces, Mr. Mohan informed about the three forces and the procedure for applying for them. As many of the parents were also present on the occasion, he informed that those who wish that their children join the armed forces can get their children educated at the Sainik Schools. These students are groomed from the childhood to join the armed forces and always get preferential treatment while being selected for the positions in the defense services. In response to Brahm Kumar’s query, Mr. Mohan informed that a student can also join the NCC while still in the school / college. ‘C’ Certificate of the NCC adds weight to prospects of students appearing for CDS examinations.
Atma Ram wanted to become a Bank Cashier. Mr. Mohan guided him that for joining a bank, a person has to appear for competition after Graduation. At the 10 level it would be better to have Commerce as a subject. Mathematics also supports in the preparation for competing in the banking examinations. The students can have commerce stream at the Intermediate level and pursue Bachelor of Commerce Degree at the Graduation level.
Sunita Singh wanted to become a teacher. Mr Mohan informed about the qualifications required for teachers at different levels from Nursery upto Post graduation.
A student enquired about the Work of an Engineer and their role in the society. Mr. Mohan briefly described the roles of an engineer as a Researcher – who discovers new concepts phenomenon, then there are engineers who are involved in Technological development and most of the engineers are engaged in Production processes.
Mr. Anurag Yadav, Commissioner Rural Development was the Chief Guest of the function. He expressed his satisfaction towards the innovative programme organised by Maitreya Era, which was oriented towards children. Sharing his experiences with the children, he said that he had studied at 18 different schools due to transfers of his father. In the process what had never changed was his dreams, determination and devotion “lius] ladYi o leiZ.k”. Giving his guidance to the young minds he said that in order to achieve their goals the children need to have far sightedness, rigourous efforts and firm determination “nwjदृष्टि dM+h esgur] iDdk bjknk”. A person should always think that their future is linked to the future of the country. Regarding sharpening ones own skills he sais that - xq.kh gksuk gh vko’;d ugha] oju ;g tkuuk t:jh gS fd xq.kksa dk iz;ksx fdl fy;s gks jgk A
The Career Counselling Mela came to the end with the vote of thanks by Ms. Sunita Siddharth Shanker.
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